The Game of Chase
by ThatLOTRChick
Summary: A short story that introduces two OC's into the world of Sherlock. Alexis, an old friend of Lestrade, who comes to the police force for a job and meets Sherlock & John. Abellona is on the opposite side of it all, finding thrill working above the law with the infamous, James Moriarty. Rated T for language & such. My first Sherlock fan fiction, so I hope you enjoy! :)
1. An Interesting Request

Monday, July 13th, 10:27 am - Scotland Yard Offices

Alexis' heels clicked as she walked down the pavement. She had gone with a business professional look, but didn't look overdone. It was cloudy, yet the sun peeked out from the clouds, as if to say an occasional hello. A typical Monday morning. She was only a couple of minutes away from the office, but her phone beeped wildly. It was Lestrade.

"Hey, Alexis. Are you almost to the office?"

Still on the phone, she opened the door to the office building. She walked back to Lestrade's office, tilted her head, and gave a little smile. She hit the "end call" button on her phone. Lestrade got up from his desk and gave Alexis a hug.

"It's wonderful to see you, Greg. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" She looked around his office, noticing memos and photos. "Kristy sends her love from the States. You know, she never stops raving about her wonderful cousin from London," Alexis said with a laugh.

"Kristy has always been a sweetheart," He trailed off. "I'm glad you could make it in so soon. First, I wanted to congratulate you on your new job. Secondly, I was going to ask if you'd like to accompany me somewhere this Friday."

Alexis wrinkled her eyebrows and laughed nervously. "I guess it depends where you want me to go, Lestrade."

"Oh.. ah.. Wow..." he shook his head, "I-I.. did not mean it like that- " he said awkwardly, "Umm.. The historical society is celebrating the "Summer of Shakespeare" by holding a masquerade ball. They invited everyone on the force to come. It's a wonderful venue, there will be great food, and there will be some people there that I'd like you to meet."

"Oh!" Alexis was trying to shake off the of the odd tone of the conversation, "That sounds very lovely. If you have any updates, feel free to give me a call." She left Lestrade's office and found her way to her own office. In her office, Alexis wondered who Lestrade meant for her to meet. Why was it so important for her to meet them at the ball? Couldn't an average office visit suffice?

The rest of the week went without a hitch. She filed papers and answered phone calls. Before she knew it, it was Friday. The ticking of the clock was agonizing. She couldn't wait to leave the office. Of course, this was not an easy task. Getting out the door meant that she had to go past Donovan's office and face her judgement.

"You must be the new girl in the office. We haven't had the chance to meet. I hear you're accompanying Lestrade to tonight's festivities," she offered her hand out formally.

Alexis shook it politely, "Why yes, I've been asked to attend by Lestrade. We're old friends, so any rumors you may have wanted to create, can be squashed right now," she smiled wide, defensively. Lestrade had tipped her off about Sally Donovan, although, Alexis wasn't a very trustful person to begin with. Donovan widened her eyes, taken aback by Alexis' response to confrontation.

"All right," she said quietly, "I have to admit, I was wrong about you. Good luck, the boys can be primadonnas sometimes." Alexis smiled and walked out the door. Not five steps from the building, she bumped into an unsuspecting, blonde man. She stumbled and turned to face him. His eyes were bright and he looked at her admirably. His eyes read, caring yet tired. The lines around his smile were worn, yet inviting. She debated whether or not to introduce herself, but before she could speak, the man held out his hand.

"Hello," he stuttered slightly, "I'm John. I take it you're the new girl Lestrade was talking about. If you're not, this is probably very awkward." He chuckled and looked down.

"It's a good thing I am," she said with a laugh, "I'm Alexis," she offered her hand to him. His grip was strong and his hands were slightly calloused.

"Well, I'd love to chat for a bit, but I've been sent to get milk. Maybe I'll see you around?" He seemed genuine, unlike the nonchalant things people mutter to each other in passing.

"I'm sure you will, especially if you're a friend of Lestrade. Have a nice time, with milk, and such," she said interestingly. John waved, as they both walked their separate directions.


	2. Convincing Sherlock

Friday, July 17th. 6:34pm - 221B Baker Street

"John, you know I don't like formalities. The fact that I even agreed to show up to this event is quite surprising. Now, you're going to make me wear a ridiculous mask?" he examined the mask with a ruffled nose, "A mask like this doesn't even hide one's face. The eyes are clearly displayed! All this mask does is make me look ridiculous."

Sherlock tossed the plastic mask with a look of disgust on his face. He couldn't believe that he agreed to make an appearance at the historical society's ball. John had told him that it was "polite" and "good for his image". Sherlock could not care less about his image, or being polite, for that matter.

John frowned, wishing that Sherlock would be a little more concerned about his impression upon others.

"Please, Sherlock. Ten minutes," John was a bit frustrated, "Show up, smile, do your 'I'm intelligent and mysterious' act, and then we can leave. I even got all the wrinkles out of your nice suit."

Sherlock groaned, but somewhat acknowledged his friend's concern. He walked over to examine the suit. He had to admit, it looked nice.

"Fine. I'll wear this suit, I'll wear this dumb, plastic mask, but I am NOT talking. I will simply be the statue in the corner. I'll give it ten minutes."

John raised his eyebrows, "Really, Sherlock? Everyone will be dancing & socializing. It will be pretty obvious to see the man standing in the corner, looking like a statue."

"You see, John, this is where we differ. The fact of the matter is, I don't care if people stare, as long as they don't interact with me. It seems to work out well, you should try it sometime."

John shook his head and started towards the door, "Let's just get this over with," he said flatly, "The longer we sit here and argue, the more I question my sanity."

Sherlock smirked at John, then checked his reflection in the mirror. John left the flat first, with Sherlock following behind. When they got to the street, they called a cab, and got in. They both wondered what the night would bring.

Note: This is my first attempt at a Sherlock & John dialogue, so sorry if it's a little rough! :)


	3. Spotting A Familiar Face

Friday, July 17th. 7:03pm - London's Historical Society

The room was decorated with crystals and the most beautiful of flowers. The wardrobe ranged from classy and simple to lavish and flamboyant. The people came into the room in groups, gathering around the dance floor. Lestrade & Alexis arrived right at seven, migrating towards the right side of the room. The many conversations blurred into one elegant mumble as more people filed in. Donovan and a strange looking man, who appeared to be wearing a dinosaur tie, came and chatted with Lestrade. Alexis looked around the room, feeling a bit nervous among the large crowd.

Sherlock and John arrived just three minutes later, but they stayed towards the back corner of the large room. John looked amazed at all of the people filling the room. It was then that John noticed the pretty woman he had met outside the office earlier. Alexis noticed John from across the room as well. She made her way over to where John was standing, with Lestrade following her.

"Hello, John," she said with a warm smile.

"Wow. You look lovely, Alexis," he said blushing slightly. She blushed as well.

"I take it you already met, Sherlock Holmes," Lestrade said, finally catching up to Alexis. She looked a bit confused and Sherlock turned his head.

"No, actually I haven't," She turned to look at Sherlock and saw he was eyeing her, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Holmes."

A few moments later, the room gathered onto the dance floor and classical music began to play. John held out his hand and asked Alexis to dance, while Lestrade and Sherlock chatted about something. Sherlock did not focus on Lestrade, though, his attention differed to a taller, more familiar man, dancing with a dark haired woman in a midnight blue gown. Everyone was wearing masks, so it was hard to tell people apart, but Sherlock knew his instinct was dead on. He eyed Alexis out of the crowd. She was wearing a floor length red gown with trails of sequins and a mask that had giant red feathers by the sides.

Sherlock stepped to this side of floor and asked John if he could cut in. John was a little surprised, and pissed for that matter, but allowed Sherlock to take his place. Sherlock took her hand and was analyzing her. Perfectly polished nails, expensive perfume residue on her wrist, brand new pearl earrings, this meant she was trying to impress someone. John, perhaps? Her arm was trembling slightly, which could insinuate anxiety. Most likely social anxiety, considering the movement of her eyes. The dilation of her pupils indicates physical attraction, as did the quickening of her pulse. Her palms were slightly moist, adding to the ideal of mild social anxiety or attraction. Although, nothing about her showed any intent beyond showing politeness to Lestrade's colleagues, which narrowed it down to social anxiety. Sherlock looked past her shoulder at the figures dancing only a few meters beyond them.

"So, do you work with Lestrade, Mr. Holmes?" She asked, nervously.

"No, actually, I," he searched for the right word. "Assist in some cases."

"Oh," she murmured, apprehensively.

"The proper term, actually, is 'Consulting Detective'."

"Oh, that sounds exciting," she smiled at him admirably.

A short, old man stepped up to the stage and started to speak about the museum and the reason they were having the ball tonight. Sherlock slowly let go of Alexis' hand to turn and face the stage. Although, he was facing forward, his eyes were darting sideways to concentrate on his target. After the old man's speech, he announced that everyone should participate in the group dance, which would be a traditional style dance, with a random partner.

Across the room from Sherlock and his dance partner, Moriarty leaned next to Abellona and whispered in her ear, "Looks like I'm arranging a meeting between you and Sherlock faster than I thought."

Abellona - a cunning young woman who had met James Moriarty long ago - had recently met back up with him in one of his many criminal pursuits. She was intrigued by his skill and decided to aid him in his future schemes. She was tall and striking, with jet black hair and piercing green eyes, and had no problem using this to her advantage. As much as she admired Jim, she did find some pitfalls in his plans, and it was useful to him to keep her around.

"Do you really think a man as intelligent as him is not going to recognize me? I'm sure he's already eyed me dancing with you."

"You know how much I like the show, babe," his eyebrows raised suggestively, "It's no fun if you don't allow anyone to watch the plan unfold."


	4. Introductions

Note: This is the second part to chapter three, so the setting is the same :)

It was to Moriarty's extreme delight that not only did Abellona end up with Sherlock, but also that the woman who had danced with Sherlock became his partner. He smiled widely and took the unnamed woman's hand. They danced for a while without saying anything.

"That really is a stunning color on you," Moriarty said, flirtatiously.

"Thank you," she blushed, "This venue is wonderful, isn't it?"

"Just gorgeous," he added, very animated, "I see that you know Sherlock Holmes. We've spent a lot of time together," he mocked a friendly laugh.

"Oh, I just met him tonight. Interesting fellow, but you probably already know that," she said with a little laugh. He was smirking, noting her naïvety and how unquestioning she was to his relation to Sherlock.

"I'm James Moriarty."

"Alexis Dreher. Pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, it certainly has been. I'll see you around. I feel this conversation is only beginning, " he had a friendly, yet conniving smile.

Alexis smiled, yet she felt uneasy. She quickly shook the weird feeling and calmed herself down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she walked over to her colleagues.

Abellona took ahold of Sherlock's hand tightly. She was not going to let him get away before having a nice chat. Moriarty was eyeing her as he danced with his partner. Sherlock noticed the sharp look in her green eyes and he knew something interesting was about to be said.

"So, you're the man beneath the hat? Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the world's only consulting detective," she rolled her eyes and smiled sarcastically, "You're not as interesting as the papers said you'd be," she acted disappointed.

Sherlock was a little thrown off by her straightforward disapproval of him. He knew she was a clever girl by the way she carried herself and the way she spoke.

"Why is my reputation so important to you?" he was glancing at her expensive jewelry, "Were you expecting a magic trick, a disappearing act, a rabbit in a hat? Such a shame I left the funny hat at home, huh?" he tightened his grip on her hand.

"Well the rabbit would have been a nice touch, I suppose," her voice was villainously playful, "I'm not stupid, Mr. Holmes. I know you're not a magician. You have a style of deduction all your own, don't you?" She raised her eyebrows, "Tell me, am I playing your mind game correctly? Do you have me all figured out by the lines on my face, or is it the styling of my hair that tipped you off?" Sherlock was amused by the way she fearlessly made claims about him.

"I'm not in the mood to humor you with my so-called silly observations. You're a clever girl, so tell me, why are you here and why do you care about who I am?" He was peering around the room again.

"Would you believe me if I said I was a big fan?" she smiled and batted her eyelashes, "Who am I kidding, I couldn't even convince myself of that," she laughed, almost disgusted by her own words, "I am merely another contestant in the game, but sadly for you, I'd never be on your team. Damn shame too, I could've been a great adversary, but I never play nice," her eyes darted to the other side of the room, then back to Sherlock, "That's your downfall, Sherlock - you associate with all these kind-hearted simpletons. I'd like to let you in on a little secret I've learned," she whispered right next to his ear, "playing nice only lasts for so long, until you learn that all the fun is had when you play dirty."

Sherlock scoffed at her remark. She is trying to prove something, but she's already given herself away, he thought.

"You speak very highly of yourself, because all you have are words. There is no action behind the things you dream up or say. You're convincing though, you're just lacking the proof, although you stand behind someone who isn't afraid of getting it."

"Your proof will come very soon, Mr. Holmes," her voice was fierce as she released her hand from his as the music slowed to a stop, "Abellona Segreti," she turned her back to him and looked over her shoulder, "it sure was a pleasure chatting with you."

Abellona walked out the ballroom doors. She was bothered by Sherlock's insinuations. She smoothed her dress, collected herself, and texted Moriarty.

Interesting chat with our dear friend.

I'll be at the apartment. Meet at Midnite.

-AS


	5. Back to the Office

Note: This section will be uploaded in two parts. Here is the first. I went a little sappy with the romance.. but I hope you enjoy it! This is my first time writing something of this sort... enjoy!

Friday, July 17th. 11:47 pm - Scotland Yard Offices

The soiree was nothing short of interesting. People started leaving in groups as the night was winding down. As the group was leaving, Sherlock told John they would be taking a taxi detour to the office. Alexis rode back to the office with Lestrade, Donovan, and Anderson. Alexis sat up front with Lestrade while Donovan and Anderson giggled like mad school girls in the backseat. Alexis didn't bother to ask what all the fuss was about.

"Did you have a nice time tonight?" Lestrade asked Alexis curiously.

"It was definitely interesting. John is so sweet and Sherlock was, well-" she searched for a word.

"Sherlock is Sherlock," Lestrade laughed.

"I met a few other amusing people, but all and all, I had a nice time. Sorry for leaving you for most of the night."

"There are always interesting people at events like these," Lestrade laughed lightly, "I'm glad you had a nice time."

"Why are we going back to the office?" Alexis asked as the car turned the corner.

"Anderson and Donovan met me there, so that's where they parked their cars. "

"Oh," she thought for a moment, "That's good because I left my laptop in my office."

Sherlock knew Lestrade would be coming back and he wanted to get information on the strange woman. Sherlock and John were the first ones to arrive at the office. They walked in and sat in the lobby, waiting for the others.

"I can't believe I stayed longer than ten minutes, John," Sherlock shook his head, "Although, I had a conversation with an interestingly harsh woman, that's why we stopped here."

"I didn't think Alexis was harsh."

"John, I'm not talking about her," Sherlock muttered hotly, looked out the window and saw Lestrade's car pulling up.

The car stopped and Donovan and Anderson came giggling out of the back. They continued to giggle and chat in the parking lot. Sherlock noticed, but their presence meant nothing to him. Lestrade walked into the lobby and acknowledged John and Sherlock with a head nod.

"What are you guys doing here?" Lestrade looked confused.

"I need to look into the personal files," Sherlock said bluntly. John threw him a confused look.

"Personal files? What for?" Lestrade asked, turning to fully face Sherlock.

"Don't worry, nothing that involves a case. I need a file on a woman who approached me at the ball. I have reason to believe she may have a connection to James Moriarty."

"Wait, Moriarty? What does he have-" John was stopped mid-sentence by Alexis coming in the door.

"Oh, did I interrupt something?" she asked quietly, "I just need to get to my office."

"You didn't interrupt," Sherlock interjected.

"Follow me, Sherlock," Lestrade unlocked the door to his office and Sherlock followed him in. Sherlock pulled the door closed and left John standing in the lobby.

Alexis looked at John. He looked a little disheveled. He looked down at the floor, then quickly turned towards her and smiled.

"Does he always do this?" She asked as she took the keys to her office out of her purse.

"Too many times. I'm used to it by now." Alexis looked at him with sad eyes.

"I know this seems silly, but would you like to see my office? I have to get my computer and I'd hate to leave you out here alone." She gave him a sympathetic smile.

John smiled genuinely, feeling a bit off-put, but he followed her anyway. Her office was the bland tan color that was uniform throughout the building, but there was a deeply personal touch about it. Alexis tried to gracefully crawl under her desk, still wearing her evening gown. John scanned the office while she unplugged the tangle of cords around her laptop. There was a painting of a brightly colored flower, and a silly photo of her with a friend at Disney World. John noticed a vibrant corkboard filled with little notes, doodles, reminders, and something hanging off a chain. He passed his eyes over the board again and the glint of metal caught his eye. He stepped forward and read: Mathila, Adam L.

He tilted his head to the side and wondered if he should ask about the dog tags. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Military father?" He pointed to the silver chain on the corkboard. Alexis popped her head up, whacking it on the desk overhead. She raised her hand to her head as she unplugged the last cord with her other hand. She got up and stood next to John.

"Friend, you could say. It's a bit, uh, complicated," she sighed lightly.

"Oh, were you more than that at one point?" John felt a bit awkward for asking, but he was endlessly curious.

"We were best friends," she frowned, "I always loved him, but love isn't always a two-way street. I was extremely close to his wife too, so I was asked to be in the wedding-" She stopped, realizing John didn't want to hear her sob story.

"Go on," he said, reassuring her.

"That was one of the hardest days of my life," her voice cracked, "They were so happy together, so I could never hate them for loving each other," she touched the metal tag, "The day he died, everyone was pretty shaken. He was killed in an explosion," she was trying to hold back tears, "I was given his tags, because Rachel couldn't handle it. She said they were nothing but bad memories. The strange thing is, they remind me of all the good times. I haven't decided if there's something wrong with me because of it," she smiled at John despite her sadness, "He was an exceptional man, but war is awful, it messes with your life to an extent that hardly anyone seems to understand."

John was shocked at how much he could identify with what Alexis had just said. He turned to face her and gave her a strained smile.

"I shouldn't bore you with the details to my life," Alexis just realized how personal her story was, and the fact she only just met the man. She hoped that she didn't scare him away by being too emotional. John was the kind of person she found it easy to tell everything to. There was an essence of friendliness about him that was undeniable.

"No, it's okay," he cleared his throat, "I've seen the war, too. You're right about it interfering with your whole life," John looked to the floor. Alexis placed her hand on John's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, John, I-" she felt guilty about bringing it up in the first place.

"No, no, really. It's okay." John looked over to her and smiled. "It's nothing too serious. Anyway, when you live with someone like Sherlock, you're kept on your toes."

"I can imagine," she laughed, and the tension eased a bit. "What is it like, living with him?"

"He's a pain in the ass," he laughed, "but he isn't as bad as people think. He just takes some getting used to. I'm never bored, and even someone like Sherlock has his moments."

"I like to believe that everyone is more than they appear on the surface," she picked her laptop up off her desk and put it into her bag, "Like you. They say the kindest of smiles have felt the most pain. Maybe I'm just assuming like I always do, so now I sound like a fool," she was laughing, "I'm not good with words."

A pair of blues eyes looked over at her in kindness. "No, I get it. You seemed like one of those people who sees the good in everyone."

Alexis smiled in the gratitude of John's words. She walked toward the door, allowing him to hold it open for her. The two walked out into the lobby of the office where Lestrade stood waiting. Lestrade smiled and said to Alexis, "I'll be out in the car, meet me there when you are ready, alright?" She nodded and waved as he walked off.


	6. The Apartment

"Sherlock is probably still looking over records," John turned to the light haired woman at his side.

"I don't want to be too bold, but would you like to have lunch tomorrow? I would've chatted with you longer, but it's late and when Sherlock sets his mind to something..." He left his sentence trail off.

"No, of course. I'd love to. Here's my number," she pulled a pen out of her bag and realized she didn't have a piece of paper, "May I?" she said taking his hand.

John blushed and nodded. She scribbled her number on his hand.

"Sorry," she laughed a bit awkwardly.

John chuckled, "That's all right."

Sherlock walked out the door quickly, "I have the information, John."

John gave a sheepish smile and waved to Alexis.

"Goodbye, John. A pleasure to meet you, Sherlock."

Sherlock nodded over his shoulder as him and John walked out of the building to the darkened street. John held out his hand to a nearby cab, and him and Sherlock slid inside of it.

Alexis locked the door, turned off the lights, and followed them out. She walked to Lestrade;s car and he unlocked the passenger door. He smiled at her and started the engine.

"I hope I didn't keep you," Alexis mentioned as Lestrade reached towards the radio dial.

"Oh, not at all," Lestrade added.

"I had a nice conversation with John. Thanks for asking me to tag along tonight," Alexis was beaming.

"It seems you and John got along quite well." Lestrade smiled kindly.

"He was quite the gentleman. Thanks again for introducing us." Alexis smiled, and let her thoughts drift sleepily while she gazed out the window.

Friday, July 17th. 12:03 am - Penthouse of Briarwood Estates Apartment Complex

Moriarty walked quietly down the hallway, careful not to wake the other residents of the classy apartment building. He found Abellona's door unlocked, not a surprise. He walked in and turned on the light. She was sitting in a chair facing the door, not surprised by his sudden entrance. She looked at the clock, it read 12:03 am.

"Wow. Three minutes late. I'm disappointed, James. You almost had me impressed," she said with a bored look.

"Ah, my lady. I do not disappoint. I have the most splendid of news," he said, eyes widening.

"I'm dying to know." Abellona leaned forward, a sarcastic smirk on her face. "Talk to me, James."

"Well... maybe I shouldn't tell you. Ya know, it'd spoil the fun," he said with a cheshire cat-like grin. Jim Moriarty was fond of games and dramatics, and playing with Abellona's mind never seemed to grow old.

She shot him an annoyed look. He looked delighted by the response he had provoked.

"I happened to find someone who can give me the information I want about our dearest Sherlock. While you had your little meeting, I had the pleasure of chatting with an unsuspecting young woman," he smiled, deliciously.

"You think she is connected to Sherlock?"

"Oh, yesss," he said, relishing in the moment. "She is our golden girl."

James turned on the lamp next to Abellona, then went to turn off the set of lights by the door.

"It felt a bit bright in here. I like the darkness," he whispered, as he stopped and crouched by where she was sitting. "It makes me feel elusive."

She turned her head to meet his gaze. She shifted in her chair and sighed.

"What sort of information do you expect to get out of her? " Abellona paused for a moment. She surveyed the intriguing man beside her. She was trying to figure out if he had a motive, or if he was being his usual flirtatious self.

His voice was low and gravelly, "Honey, do I ever have a problem getting what I want?" He kissed her neck, lingering for a moment. She tilted her head slightly, allowing him the ego boost, yet she was uninterested in his romantic ploys.

"So, are you going to try the flirtatious approach, or something that actually works?" Abellona commented snidely.

"Someday, I'll break you. You're so... frigid. Works for you though, kind of sexy." He got up and walked towards the door. "Don't worry about the girl. I just have to work my magic."

James winked and walked out the door. Abellona shook her head, turned off the light, and walked to the window.

She sighed, "James, you son of a bitch, I don't understand you." She watched as the dark figure below called a cab and rode away. She turned from the window and retired to her bedroom, thinking of the mysterious man.


End file.
